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An awesome open carry experience!

Howdy all,

I haven't posted here in a looonng time but after what happened tonight I needed to share. I have been open carrying in the Arlington area for about 3.5 years now and all over Western WA. Most of the time no one takes any notice, once in awhile I get a minor comment or have a conversation with someone about carrying but usually I just go about my business. Tonight my family and I were at the Twin Lakes Red Robin for dinner, a place we eat fairly often, and where I am almost always open carrying. As is my habit I sat at the table next to my son which usually means (as tonight) that my gun and holster are in full view of anyone that walks by. I'll make a long story short here by jumping to the cool part. As our server was re-filling my water he told us that someone in the restaurant had paid for my family's dinner because he liked the fact that I was carrying a gun openly! My wife asked the server who paid and he indicated a couple sitting behind me to my right. I didn't want to make a fuss so we asked the server to relay our thanks and I left him a note to pass to the couple as well, thanking them for their generousity and letting them know that I would be sharing the story here tonight. This is definitely not the type of response that I expect when open carrying but it sure was a neat feeling to know that my choice made such a positive impression on a complete stranger!

Just in case he or his wife stops by here to look I would again like to say thank you very much. Your generous gesture made our night!

U.S. v. Minker, 350 US 179, at page 187
"Because of what appears to be a lawful command on the surface, many citizens, because
of their respect for what only appears to be a law, are cunningly coerced into waiving their
rights, due to ignorance." (Paraphrased)

1. Please get the mods to move this to the main site. Everyone needs to see this sort of story.

2. I think the vast majority of our fellow citizens have realized that there is no such thing as a "safe place" any more and are beginning to understand that they must take responsibility for their own safety. Unfortunately, most are also very nervous about either open or concealed carry. The negative encounters, especially with LEAs, are better publicized in the MSM than are all the positive outcomes of having a weapon.

Even my friends from China, who were initially very nervous about me even admitting that I owned firearms, are beginning to understand why I have them. As an aside, get to know someone from a country like China. It will give you the best insight you've ever had on what the anti-gun folk want to do in this country.

Pay it forward. If you see someone OC'ing do the same thing and pay for their meal.

+ 1 -- You beat me to the post, I have practiced "Pay it Forward" For years before I even heard the term. More people should do this. I feel it links us all together in small sort of way.

Always great to hear positive encounters.

Last edited by amzbrady; 08-21-2011 at 01:03 PM.

If you voted for Obama to prove you are not a racist...
what will you do now to prove you are not stupid?

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism," they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." - Norman Thomas

"They who can who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve niether liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin